Introduction
Literary techniques are essential in advancing the meaning that an author intends to portray. The passage Book of Songs (B) is a poem whose main theme is grief and sorrow. The poet used comparison in several instances to reflect the theme of grief. Another passage titled The Works of Li Qing Zhao (A) also includes the theme of sorrow but in a different context. The speaker was focused on the cold season, where being alone can bring sadness. The third passage is titled The Lotus Sutra (A) and is about a dialogue between Buddha and a dragon girl who wants to proceed to the spotless world of the south. Using the mentioned texts, this essay will provide the connections between the passages by describing the common themes and literary techniques.
Common Themes
The themes of sorrow and grief are present in two of the passages. In The Works of Li Qing Zhao (A), the sadness was a result of the cold season. The writer noted that the sign of wild geese flowing past provided memories of the previous year, which increased the sorrow. It appeared that sorrowfulness was because the cold season is challenging when alone in the house. The passage Book of Songs (B) also portrays the theme of grief and sadness throughout the narration by the speaker. The words “my heart is in turmoil, I cannot sleep” indicate the feelings of the writer.
The author notes that “sorrow clings to me like an unwashed dress,” which provides an understanding of the psychological position of the speaker. Similes are essential in providing a deeper understanding of an issue without losing clarity. They provide the reader with an exciting and memorable idea about the concepts being written. Themes are essential in poetry because they make the writings meaningful. Sorrow and grief provide meaning to the passage and help the reader understand the context used by the author. Therefore, sorrow and grief are common themes in the two passages.
Literary Techniques
In the Lotus Sutra (A), dialogue is evident in the first paragraph, where the dragon girl communicates with Shari Putra. The discourse between the two is important because it details the context of the rest of the passage. A reader can follow what is happening by reading the short interchange. Dialogue is important because it presents the personalities, emotions, and actions of the characters. In the works of Li Qing Zhao (B), the discussion is different because the speaker engages in a conversation with themselves. In poems with single narrators, the common themes presented are the fight between mind, body, desire, and flesh.
The poem Book of Songs (B) is a narration by the author about the grief and sadness they are going through. Through the use of the word “I,” the writer indicates that they are the speaker/narrator. The use of the first person is important as readers may find it easy to relate to the passage because they are witnessing the plot through the eyes of the writer. Readers can understand the inner thoughts and experience the inner emotions of the author. Therefore, the three passages apply dialogue and use of the first person in different ways that help advance the plot of the writings.
Repetition is a common literary technique that is useful in creating rhythm (Malyshkina et al. 43). It is evident in the works of Li Qing Zhao (A) and Book of Songs (B), where several words and phrases are repeated in some of the verses. In the first stanza of The Works of Li Qing Zhao (A), the words “searching, seeking, chilly, clear, dreary, dismal, and forlorn” reoccur similarly. In the last verse, the words “drip-drip” and “drop-drop” represent the sound of rain during the night which is an example of onomatopoeia.
In the Book of Songs (B), the words “my heart” appear in the majority of the stanzas, which helps enhance the theme of the passage. The main theme in the poem is sorrow and grief, and mentioning “my heart” repeatedly helps the reader to remain within the context. Parallelism is evident in the third stanza of the writing with the repetition of the words “my heart is not a…”. This gives the stanza a specific pattern and creates a rhythm that makes the passage easy to process (Malyshkina et al. 42). Therefore, the use of repetition is evident and is essential in creating a pattern and rhythm for the passages.
Conclusion
In summary, the passages contain several literary techniques that are important in advancing the message. Two of the writings contain similar themes of sorrow and grief and are written in the first person. First-person writings contain information that is based on the thought process of the speaker. The recurrence of words and phrases is essential in creating a distinct rhythm and pattern for any literary writing. Different authors choose to employ different methods based on how the technique serves the purpose intended. Therefore, it is crucial to understand different literary strategies and how they are applied in passages.
Work Cited
Malyshkina, Elena Vladimirovna, et al. “Scientific Understanding of the Functions of Repetition in English Poetic Speech.” Revista Espacios, vol. 39, no. 21, 2018, pp. 41-59.